Prompt: Beautiful
Rating: T

It was the sound of her daughter crying that woke her from her slumber. Jess stirred, wondering at first what the sound was.

A tired smile curved her lips as she remembered and her eyelids fluttered open just in time to overhear the latter part of a conversation between a new nurse and her husband.

"Why is she crying?" Becker asked, concern in his voice. "Is she okay? Should we call the doctor...?"

"Not at all, Captain." The nurse smiled at him, her smile widening when she noticed Jess was awake. "She's just hungry, that's all. Have you decided if you're going to breastfeed, Mrs Becker? We do have some formula if you would prefer to try a bottle?"

Jess shook her head and tried to sit up, wincing a little at the ache of her lower body. "I was going to try feeding her if that's okay."

"Of course." Taking the baby from her father, who was evidently reluctant to let her go, the nurse approached Jess with her crying daughter. She instructed Jess quietly, and passed her her daughter when she was ready. In quiet, reassuring tones, she talked her through the process of feeding the baby, smiling encouragingly when she was happy both mother and daughter were settled. "I'll leave you alone for a while. If you need me, just hit the call button."

"We'll be fine, thank you." Jess barely looked up to smile, too taken with the sight of her daughter. She stroked the soft skin of the baby's cheek with her fingertip, lifting her head only when she felt the bed dip and knew Becker had joined her. "She's really here," she murmured, smiling softly at the expression of adoration on her husband's face. "Hil, she's really here."

"I know." He kissed her sweetly before moving to support her, gazing down at their daughter. "I already know she's going to be a heart-breaker," he murmured, lifting his hand to gently touch the soft downy hair their daughter had been born with. "She's too gorgeous not to be."

"Lillian Becker," Jess murmured quietly. "Lily." She smiled softly. "It suits her, doesn't it? Her name?"

Becker grinned. "It's the perfect name for our perfect little girl. My mother's going to be thrilled we named her after my grandmother."

"I think my brother will be pleased we've remembered my mum, too," Jess agreed quietly.

They sat in silence for a while, both of them watching their daughter. It hardly seemed possible that after waiting for her for so long, she was finally in their lives, finally right there in front of them, in her mother's arms.

When Lily was finished nursing, Jess burped her the way she'd been shown. She smiled when her little girl settled down again, falling asleep as she held her close. Glancing at her husband, she blushed at the expression on his face. "Don't look at me like that," she warned without rancour.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Like that." She shook her head, careful not to disturb their daughter. "I must look a mess. I can't see my hair but it feels greasy and I –"

"You look beautiful." His voice was quiet but the depth of emotion in it made her blush. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, Jessica Becker. Thank you."

Jess looked at him curiously. "For what?"

"For being my wife. For giving me our daughter. For being you." Each statement was punctuated with a soft kiss, his hand lingering at her cheek as he gazed not at their daughter but at his wife, love and adoration clear in his eyes. "I love you, Jess."

"I love you, too." She leaned up to kiss him again, letting her head rest against his shoulder when they parted.

Together, they sat gazing at the little girl they'd made, a living symbol of the life they'd built together, each vowing they'd do whatever it took to keep her safe.

The End.

(Maybe.)

Writing this series has been an amazing experience. Thank you to everyone who's been there from day one, and to everyone who's joined us along the way. I'm still every bit as in love with Jess & Becker as I ever was and don't imagine that this is the end of their story. That being said, I've no plans currently for another in the Milestones series - well, that's not true, I've got one playing at the back of my mind but have no idea when it'll make its way from my mind to paper and from paper to the screen. My original writing has to take precedence for a while, and there are other fandoms waiting in the wings, too.

There will be more Primeval stories. I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to the series as a whole given that it's got me through a heck of a lot of hard times over the years; it just might be a while before they get from me to you.

In the meantime, thank you, sincerely, to all of you. To the girls who know who they are and to you readers who only know me when my pen name appears in your email or on the page. I'll never be able to explain what this show and this fandom has helped me get through over the last couple of years but please know that every exchange/review/follow/favourite has meant so very much.

Love and hugs,

Alexa xx